Previews

Tomb Raider: Legend

The gameplay has been changed quite a bit, as well. The first thing that the developers pointed out is that you don't have to spend timing lining up every jump, as was the case in the other games. Now, you can just run at the edge, press the jump button, and launch yourself into the air. If you're close to the opposite edge, you'll automatically grab onto it with either one or both hands, depending on how far away you are.

While there's plenty of platforming and combat elements in Legend, I was most impressed by the puzzles that I saw. Those have always been an intregral part of the Tomb Raider experience, and the team at Crystal Dynamics has done a great job of changing things up a bit. Instead of simply offering up block-moving or switch-flipping puzzles like we've all seen before, the game now features more intricate challenges that can be solved in multiple ways.

For instance, we saw one in which a pillar had to be knocked onto a jammed waterwheel, and the developer actually pointed out that you could choose to shoot it, knock it over by leaping against it, or you can blow up another nearby pillar, turning the wheel in the opposite direction. We also saw a few instances where Lara used her newest toy, a magnetic grappling hook, to solve puzzles. It's a fun little device, and there are plenty of oppotunities to use it.

Even though it's still early, there's no denying that Tomb Raider: Legend is going to wash the bitter taste of Angel of Darkness out of the mouths of Lara's biggest fans. Crystal Dynamics has taken the heroine back to her roots in more ways than one. Everyone was pretty tight-lipped about the story itself, but there were hints that we'd get to find out exactly what happened in the Himalayas, as well as the reason behind Lara's life of treasure hunting. This is one Legend that needs to be explored in greater detail.